The Importance of a helping hand in education and in life

Francisco Gallego, scientific director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Latin America and Caribbean regional office co-authored a white paper titled, 'The importance of a helping hand in education and in life.'

In the paper, published in the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), authors engage with existing research that demonstrates the effectiveness of low-touch behavioural nudges in long-term education and labour market success. Francisco and his colleagues argue that incorporating personal assistance interventions results in sustained habits and improved outcomes. The authors highlight examples from various stages of human capital accumulation throughout the lifecycle that suggest incorporating personal assistance leads to significantly improved performance than behavioural nudges. The paper highlights the importance of social connections and interactive support on fostering intrinsic motivation and explores the challenges of implementing personal assistance policies cost-effectively.